Elizabeth Asher thinks of the people who devote their time to helping animals in need as heroes.

So, it has been meaningful to her to create an organization that supports their efforts behind the scenes.

Rescue Bank Houston, an organization founded by Asher and John Kane, puts the human food-bank model to work for animal shelters, rescue groups and advocacy organizations.

The food bank stores and distributes food from a warehouse at 3701 Yale in the Heights and from the Houston Food Bank's warehouse at 535 Portwall in east Houston.

"If we provide food to rescue groups, it frees them from one of their most expensive costs, and they can devote their resources to other needs, like veterinary care," said Asher, an attorney.

Animal organizations must register and receive approval from the food bank before accepting food. Rescue Bank Houston works with 63 area animal organizations.

They range from feral cat groups to small shelters to a wolf sanctuary.

When food becomes available, member organizations pay a fee to cover freight expenses. The average pallet of dog food costs $60 to $70 and holds about $1,000 worth of food in the 800- to 1,000-pound range.

Among the rescue groups working with Rescue Bank Houston is Tomball SOS (Save Our Strays), a feral cat trap/neuter/release program that feeds 250 homeless cats a night.

"It's made a tremendous different in our organization," donations coordinator Mickey Platko said.

Tomball SOS volunteers, including some cat foster parents, typically pay for food out of their own pockets.

"Rescue Bank has given us not only food donations, but when we've had a need John and Elizabeth have gone out of their way to help us," Platko said. "You can't put a price tag on having them support you like that."

Rescue Bank Houston always can use additional support from the community in the form of fund-raisers, financial donations and pet food drives. The organization needs dog and cat food, Asher said, but tends to get considerably more dog food from manufacturers than cat products. The organization also would like to be able to distribute cat litter.